Good Early Evening Session: Clusters And More

[cloudsweeper]

Started with Venus and her phase, on to Luna - beautiful at x85, but a bit shimmery at x203.  Then a quick look at Mars.

Uranus, the Moon, Mars, and Venus were all in a line, but I didn't manage Uranus - not so dark, much light trespass perhaps.

On to M45 - always worth a regular look, especially the chain of stars going down between Merope and Alcyone.   

Then the Taurean clusters.  I love clusters!  

NGC 1647 - several stars in a nice pattern, but not a dense formation (well not in the light conditions that obtained).

NGC 1807 - a very nice, loose pattern of stars in twos and threes, considered to be in fact an asterism rather than an open cluster.

NGC 1817 - right next to the above - a few stars, nothing of great note.

Finally M35 in Gemini, a beautiful, dense cluster, which was good at x85 as opposed to x48 which I generally use with the 8SE.

And so indoors, for a curry and wine.  Very satisfying!

Doug.

[YKSE]

Nice report Doug

It certainly feels good when we can take out the scopes for enjoying the sky